Written for religious educators in 2016, this article describes how Bible Studies can come alive when we respect the psyche.

This article examines the psychoanalytic concepts of object-relations theorist Christopher Bollas, applying them to a view of the Bible as “transformational object.”

Emphasizing the connection between psychological process and religious experience, this article suggests that each person’s innate ability to choose and use objects is a key factor in their ability to appropriate the Bible for constructive use. By offering religious objects with psychological awareness, religious educators may come to appreciate that silence, empathy, and open-ended lesson plans are important incubators of transformation; and that aggression has a potentially positive role in the healthy development of worship communities. Continue reading...